I've said it before and I'll say it again, the Fantasy genre is the most difficult to tackle in the film world. For every "Lord Of The Rings" and "Harry Potter," there are duds like "The Golden Compass" and "Dungeons And Dragons." You're probably asking yourself, what makes a Fantasy film work? In my view, it all boils down to believability. Do you believe in the Fantasy universe on screen or does it come off as silly and staged? If you need an example of a Fantasy film gone wrong, look no further than "Stardust."

The story: Vowing to win a woman's affection, Tristan goes off on a journey to bring her back a fallen star. Upon arriving at the crash site, he finds the star is actually a woman named Yvaine. Little does Tristan know that a wicked witch named Lamia and a King's son are also after the star, but for different reasons. Will Tristan still want to bring the star to the woman he thought he loved? Does he want to help protect Yvaine from those that want to harm her? Will he fall for her? Watch (or not) and find out. "Stardust" may sound like an absolute treasure for Fantasy lovers, but it is sadly anything but. As ambitious as it may be, this predictable, overlong, big budget adventure is not worth embarking on as the movie is nothing more than one long chase scene. On top of that, much of the actors and actresses are terribly miscast. Charlie Cox (Tristan) is a bland hero, Claire Danes looks as if she wandered off the set of another production, and Robert DeNiro once again embarrasses himself further as a cross-dressing Pirate. A word of advice DeNiro: stick to directing and starring in Scorsese films. The only cast member who is having any fun here is Michelle Pfeiffer. It's always good to see her in a scenery chewing role.

"Stardust" has to be the most disappointing HD release to date. The picture quality looks like nothing more than a DVD port. The colors are soft and every frame is nowhere near as sharp as it should be. The 5.1 Dolby Digital Plus audio track, while decent, is also problematic as the dialogue/score is either too low or too loud. There's no middle ground.

* 5 deleted scenes, one of which includes the goat man. Don't ask... * Theatrical trailer * 5 minute blooper reel * "Good Omens" The Making Of Stardust" (29 1/2 minutes) is your typical making of. There are interviews with the likes of Neil Gaiman, set footage, visual f/x discussions, etc.

"Stardust" is a predictable, magic-less Fantasy film. You are better off watching "The Princess Bride" for the 100th time.